Folding machine



June 16, 1942.

E. D. COSTON FOLDING MACHINE Filed March 21. 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllli 20 ATTORNEYS Patented June 16, 1942 :Unirse FOLDNG MACHINE Elmer D. Coston, St. Louis, Mo., ,assigner to Manufacturers Supplies Company, St. Louis, Mo., a

corporation of Missouri 13 Caims.

This invention relates, generally, to folding machines, and particularly to'machines for f'olding leather parts, such as shoe upper pieces.

In the manufacture of shoes and other leather articles,y it is customary, in order to provide a neat joint between separate parts, to skive the edges ofl theY pieces-cf leather and fold the same so that the grain sideV of the leather extends completely about the margin. While a variety of machines have heretofore been provided for Aaccomplishingsuch a folding operation, such kmachines have-generally been of suchcompli- `to provide va foldingmachine of the character described wherein the fold` is produced by a combined -wipingandrpressing action' of the active members.

`Another object of the present invention is to .provide a folding machine of the character described, so constructed andiarranged that theY active gauging and folding -parts may `be removed and. replaced by simple manipulations, without requiring the services of la skilled mechanic.

Other objects willl becomeapparent to those skilledin Vthe art when the followingdescription is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view ofa folding machine, constructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

Figure. 2 is a sectional View taken .along line 'Figure 3 is a sectional View taken alongv line 3 3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken kalong line ll---d of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is aplan view of the machine shown in Figure 1, with the active gauging and folding parts removed.

Figure 6 Yis a sectional view taken along line Figure '7V is a sectional View, somewhat diagrammatic in form, and illustrating the gauging e the beginning of the folding operation.

Figure 8 is a View correspondingto -Figure '7, but showing the parts at a subsequent `phase of the folding operation.

Figure 9 is a View similar to Figures '7` and 8, but showing ythe parts at a farther advanced stage of the folding operation.

Figure 10 is a View similar to Figures 7, 8, and 9, but showing the parts in the final stage of the folding operation.

Figure 11 is a plan View of a piece of leather, shaped in conformity with the gauging -and forming elements of the device showniin Figure 1, in condition ready to be operated upon thereby.

In accordance with the present invention, generallystated,a folding machine .is constructed and arranged so as to be operated'in anyrsuitable press, such for example as one in Awhich a vplunger or other suitable head is operated downwardly toward va bed. The present invention contemplates that the folding machine for operation in conjunctionwith such a pressbe provided, on its upper surface, kwith suitable gauging,4 forming, and folding elements of a vcharac-- ter such that they may-be readily removed from the adjunct mechanism, and replaced by others,

thereby to adapt the machine for easy conversion to handle differently shaped pieces of leather, cr other material, to be folded.

EThe present invention further contemplates that theparts of the folding machine which con- -taot directly with the material to be folded'be arranged so as to be moved laterally with relation to the material being operated upon, soas to wipe the fold being formed with slight pressure, and thereafter, when the wiping movement has been completed, to subject the folded material to the direct pressure of the press in a directicnnormal to the surface of the material being folded.

Referring now to thedrawings for an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the

folding machine comprises a base I, which may belprovided with suitable guides, such for example as a channel 2,.in the bottom surface thereof for cooperation with suitable rails arranged upon the bed of a pressure machine in which the device is intended .to be used. Extending upwardly from base l is a plurality of posts 3, supporting at their upper ends an auxiliary base 4. Obviously, the guide rails 2 may be mounted directly upon the auxiliary base fi when it is desired to reduce the overall height of the supporting apparatus.

rality of studs I9, arranged so as to limit theY downward movement of work support 6 relative to auxiliary base 4, it being understood that when the work support B is moved downwardly until the lower surf-ace thereof contacts the upper ends of studs I9, further downward movement of work support 6 relative to auxiliary base 4 is precluded.

Arranged in work support 6 is a plurality of members II, arranged to receive the impact of the head of the press in which the mechanism is operated. The members II are mounted upon coil springs I2, carried in cups I3, which are secured beneath work support I3. The springs I2 are of a character such as to maintain members I I in their uppermost position, as shown in Figure 4, until springs 9 have yielded to such an extent that work support 6 is seated upon the upper ends of studs I9. Thereafter, further movement of the pressure device forces members II downwardly within cups I3, against the resistance of springs I2.

Work support B is provided with a pair of openings I4, and a second pair of openings I5, as clearly illustrated in Figure 5. The openings I4 and I5 are respectively provided with internal shoulders I5 and I1.

Mounted in openings I4 so as to slide upon shoulders I6 is a pair of blocks I8, connected together beneath work support 6 by a transverse cam member I9; and each of blocks I8 is provided with an upwardly-extending stud 2i), arranged to receive an element of the gauging and forming mechanism. Interposed between camming member I9 and the lower surface of work support 6 is a plate 2I, extending beyond the margins of openings I4, so as to provide a guiding and holding means operating against the lower surface of work support 6.

Similarly, a pair of blocks 22 are mounted in openings I5, and connected together beneath work support 9 by a camming member 23. Guiding land holding plate 24, corresponding in form and function to plate 2|, is likewise provided for the parts mounted in opening I5.

It will be observed that openings I4 and I5 are respectively longer than their corresponding blocks I8 and 22, so that lateral movement of the blocks with their adjunct mechanism in the openings is thereby permitted. On the lower surface of work supporting member 6, a spring 25 is provided for biasing the sliding mechanism, mounted for movement in openings I4, toward the right; and similarly, a spring 26 is provided for biasing the sliding mechanism, provided in openings I5, toward the right.

Mounted upon auxiliary base 4 is an abutment block 21, arranged for cooperating with camming member I9, so that upon downward movement of work support 6 and its adjunct parts, camming member I9 engages with abutment 21, land the former, together with blocks 29, is moved toward the left.

A similar abutment block 23 is provided for cooperation with camming member 23, and arranged to move blocks 22 with their associated parts toward the left, upon downward movement of the work support. The camming surfaces of members I9 and 23 are coordinated with blocks 21 and 28, so that while lateral movement of member I9 with its associated parts is initiated before lateral movement of member 23 with its associated parts begins, the lateral movement of member 23 is at a greater rate than the lateral movement of member I9, and consequently, with the parts Iarranged as shown in the drawings, lateral movement of member 23 is completed before lateral movement of member I9 is completed.

Mounted upon work support 6, so as to be movable in association with camming member I9, is a wiping element 29 having an edge conforming generally to the edge configuration of the piece of material to be folded. At the edge 30, the lower surface of wiping element 29 is beveled as shown clearly in Figures 4, 5, and 7 to 10 inclusive. Mounted upon wiping element 29 is a gauge element 3 I, having an edge 32 conforming in size and shape to the edge configuration of the piece of material to be folded. Edge 32 is spaced slightly from edge 39 of wiping element 29, so that edge 32 provides an abutment against which the edge of a piece of material to be operated upon may be placed, in gauging the work.

Wiping element 29 is provided with a pair of openings 33, arranged to receive studs 20 in blocks I8, so that upon lateral movement of blocks I8 wiping element 29 moves laterally to the same extent. Wiping element 29 is, however, not held against upward movement relative to blocks I8, except lby its own weight; Iand consequently the wiping element may be readily removed by lifting from studs 29, and replaced at will.

A forming member 34, having an edge configuration substantially conforming to the configuration of edge 30 of wiping element 29, is mounted upon blocks 22 for lateral movement therewith. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, forming member 34 is of bail formation, with its active edge 35 drawn relatively thin, but not sharp enough to cut the material to be acted upon. Forming member 34 is connected through hinges 36 to the respective blocks 22. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, one half of each hinge 36 is mounted upon blocks 22, while the companion half-hinge is mounted upon forming member 34; and hinge pins 31 are provided with an angularly extending part 38, so that they may be readily gripped and removed.

A hold down member 39 is hingedly mounted at 49 upon the upper surface of work support 6, so that hold down member 39 remains stationary when the adjacent parts are moved laterally relative to work support 6. In the embodiment shown, hold down member 39 is formed of a body piece and an edge part |40, the edge part |40 being mounted upon the lower surface of body piece 39 and being tapered at 4 I, as clearly shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, so as to provide a cam surface arranged to lift forming member 34 slightly away from work support 6, as the forming member is moved laterally to the left.

In order to concomitantly lift hold down member 39 and forming member 34, so as to permit the placement of al piece of work in the apparatus, a handle 42 is provided on hold down member 39 and arranged to extend laterally beneath forming member 34 sufciently to permit the same to be grasped and lifted by an operative.

' Extending beneath forming member' 34,-it is apparent that upward movement of handle' 42 raises not only holdV down member 39, butforming member 34, which is thereabove In order to provide for convenient'iand expeditiousremoval of hold downmember'39, hinges lil are Vprovided with ahinge part 43 havinga laterally extending part 44'which may. beconveniently grasped and removed when itV isdesired to substitute one hold down plate'forA another.

Since in the substitution of parts, (wiping element, forming member, and hold down plate), in order to adapt the machine to diferentlyshaped pieces of work, it is frequently 'desirable to vary the space between'edge 39er wiping element 29\ and edge of forming element 34,` means is provided for adjusting at spaced relation therebetween when the parts are at rest. Such aniadjusting means may consist of a rod 45:secured at one end to camming member 23, and extending through a boss 46 on the lower surface of work support 5. Rod 45 is provided, at its outer end, with threads to receive suitable adjusting nuts il; and accordingly, when it is'desired that the space between edge`35 of forming element 34 vand I.

edge '3D of wiping element 29 beincreased beyond that shown in the drawings, (when the' parts are at rest), nuts 41 may be run up on rod 45, thereby drawing camming member 23, (with blocks 22 and forming member 34), leftwardly against the'l tension of spring 26.

Under some circumstances it is 'desirable to lock the slide carrying forming member 34 temporarily in. position away from the edge of wiping element 3o, and in order to accomplish this result, a latch 48 arranged to engage over theA edge of work support E is provided, as shown in'Figures 1 and 3.

In the operation of the device, a piece of leather such as 49, having a skived margin to be folded, after having a suitable adhesive applied, is placed upon work support,V 6 with the skived margin 50 abutted against edge 32 of gauge'3l upon wiping element 29. Hold down member 39 is then closed upon the work until edge part |49 rests upon the'upper surface of leather 49, as clearly shown in Figure 7. "Thereupon, forming member'34 is brought down into position `until edge 35 thereof contacts with the leather piece 49, and'breaks the same upwardly into the position'shown in Figure 8. With the parts in this position, the head of the pressure machine illustrated 'diagrammatically in Figures? to 10 inclusive as 5I may be brought down upon the folding mechanism, the impact of head 5| being received by members H; vand since springs' 9 are arranged to yield before yielding of springs I2 takes place,'the work support and 'its adjunct parts are moved downwardly relative to auxiliary base 4, telescopp ing members I and 8. During this downward movement, abutment 2l engages theinclined surface of camming member I9, and moves the same laterally, thereby moving wiping element 29 tothe left over the edge 35 of forming member 34, as clearly shown in Figure 9. At this point in the operation, however, springs I2 have not yielded under the force of the pressure member; and consequently little, if any, vertical pressure is being applied by head 5I to wiping element 29.

Further downward movement of work support 5 with its adjunct parts effects an engagement between abutment 28 and the inclined surface of camming member 23, with the result that camming member 23 with its adjunct parts, including block 22 and forming element 34, are moved element 29. moved' leftwardly, wiping element i 29 continues Y its leftward'movement, wiping the f old from right r'mechanical equivalents. plated that other operations be carried out to the left,pulling .the edge 35of'forming element34 out of the fold beneath edge 30 of wiping As the forming element`34 is being to left, as seen in Figures 9 and 10. When finally the lateral movement of-wiping element 29 has been completed, work support 6 comes to rest upon studs I Il, and springs 'I 2 begin to yield under Athe pressure of head 5I, with the result that the head comes to rest upon gauge member 3|, and

forcesr wiping element 29 downwardly upon the fold in material 49.

Upon release of head 5|, the series of movements just described are reversed until the various parts have resumed their positions illustrated in Figure 1; whereupon the operator may lift handle 42, concurrently raising forming member 36 and hold down member 39, so as to permit removal of the folded material from the machine, and insertion of anotherpiece to be operated upon.

When it is desired to convert the folding mechanism so as to adapt it to handle differently shaped pieces of leather or other material from that Yillustrated in Figure l1, it is apparent that wiping element 29 maybe readily removed by simply lifting the same from studs 20. Forming member 34 may be readily removed by simply withdrawing pins- 37 from hinges 35; and' hold down member 39 may be readily re- -moved by withdrawing hinge pin @3 from hinge "49. Other corresponding parts, dierently shaped in accordance with lthe work to be operated upon, may then be substituted by a reversal of the operations. Such an arrangement provides for ready removal and replacement of the onlyv parts of the device which need be 'changed when converting the machine from one piece of work to another, and consequently versatility of operation is accomplished with a min- Y imum of expense.

'While it is apparent that the foregoing description andthe accompanying drawingsconstitutesl adetaileddisclosure of one embodiment of the folding machine according to the present /'invention, it is evident that many variations in "the mechanical arrangements will present themf-selves to those skilled in' the art, and consequently itis to be understood that it is contemplated that under many circumstances and conditions it will be desirable to replace specific elements of the device herein disclosed with 'their It is further contemconcurrently with the folding operation herein 'described in detail. For example, by the provision of suitable inking ory cutting kdies for op- 41eration through apertures in work supporte, a Aout out or a pattern marking or bothmay `be applied to the piece of leather concurrently with the folding.

it. is therefore tobe distinctly understood that member having a forming edge arranged to depress the material to be folded below the surface of said wiper, a hold down plate, and means for moving said wiper and said former laterally relative to each other and to the hold down plate, said wiper arranged to bear unrestrainedly against the work support.

2. A machine for folding parts of material such as leather comprising, a forming member, a wiping member, means for moving said members laterally relative to the material being folded so that the wiping member is juxtaposed with the fold and continuously bearing downwardly thereon during such movement, and means for applying vertical pressure to the wiping member when in said juxtaposed position.

3. The combination with a press having a vertically movable head, of a folding machine having a forming member, a wiping member, and means operable in response to pressure from the head of said press for moving said forming and wiping members laterally relative to the material being folded, said wiping member being in position to receive the force of said press, and means for protecting said wiping member from receiving the full force of said press until the wiping member is juxtaposed with the fold.

4. The combination with a press having a vertically movable head of a folding machine having a work support, a wiping member mounted on said work support for lateral movement, a forming member mounted on said work support for lateral movement, cam means for moving said forming member and said wiping member laterally at different rates in response to downward movement of the work support under pressure of the press head, and yieldable means arranged to maintain said press head out of engagement with the wiping member until lateral movement thereof has taken place.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a work support, a slidable member guided for movement in said work support, and a wiping member riding upon the surface of said work support and coupled to said slidable member.

6. A device of the kind described comprising a work support, slidable members guided for movement in said work support, and a wiping member riding upon the surface of said work support and coupled to said slidable members for lateral movement therewith but unrestrained against vertical movement relative to said work support and slidable members.

'7. Adevice of the kind described comprising a work support, slidable members guided for movement in said work support, and a forming member hinged to said slidable members for lateral movement therewith.`

8. A device of the kind described comprising a work support, a pair of slidable members guided for movement in said work support, each of said slidable members having an upstanding stud, a wiping member arranged to ride upon the surface of said Work support and having a pair of holes therein spaced according to the spacing of the studs on said slidable members and arranged to receive the same, vsaid wiping member being free of direct connection to said work support.

9. A device of the kind described comprising a work support, two pairs of slides mounted in said work support, each of said slides having coupling parts extending above the surface of said work support, a wiping member connected with the coupling parts on one pair of said slides, said wiping member having a gauge device thereon, a forming member connected with the coupling parts on the other pair of slides, the edge of said forming member corresponding in outline to said gauge device, and a hold down member connected to said work support.

l0. A device of the kind described comprising a work support, two pairs of slides mounted in said work support, each of said slides having coupling parts extending above the surface of said work support, a wiping member connected with the coupling parts on one pair of said slides, said wiping member having a gauge device thereon, a forming member connected with the coupling parts on the other pair of slides, the edge of said forming member corresponding in outline to said gauge device, a hold down member connected to said work support, and means operable upon depression of said work support to move said wiping member and said forming member laterally relative to said hold down member.

1l. A device of the kind described, comprising, a work support for receiving a piece to be folded, means for breaking the piece at the fold to be formed, a wiper, and means for moving the wiper against and over the piece in continuous bearing Contact therewith from the bight of the fold inwardly.

l2. A device of the kind described, comprising, a work support for receiving a piece to be folded, means for breaking the piece at the fold to be formed, a wiper normally sustained at the plane of the work support but being movable vertically relative thereto, and means for moving the wiper against and over the piece in continuous bearing Contact therewith from the bight ofthe fold inwardly, the forward edge of said wiper having an undercut bevel to guide it over the bight of the fold.

13. A machine for folding parts of material such as leather, comprising, a work support for receiving the work piece, a wiper having a ledge elevated above the support for sustaining the margin of the work piece above the work support, a forming member provided with an edge movable into horizontally spaced relation proximate said ledge, the edge ofV said forming member being depressable below the plane of said ledge to break the fold in the work piece, and means for moving said wiper toward the edge of said forming member and onto and over the fold in the work piece in continuous bearing contact therewith.

ELMER D. COSTON. 

